Their Happily Ever After
by Shoiena Alexia
Summary: A look into the time between the King slipping the shoe unto Ella's foot and finding out that she is his "mystery princess" and leading right up through their wedding. Should include the honeymoon in later chapters. This is based off the 2015 Live Action version of Cinderella. Ella/Kit. Should be rated between T and maybe switching to M in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! I haven't written a fanfic in** _ **years!**_ **I became quite overwhelmed in trying to write my last one a few years ago and I'm still seeking the courage to go back to it. Anyway this one should go much better, I hope. So here we go!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or Cinderella.**

 **Chapter 1**

Ella could hardly believe it. Just hours earlier she had resigned herself to living a dull, miserable life, forever under the control of her vicious stepmother and demanding step sisters.

' _No matter.'_ She had thought. ' _As long as I can keep them away from Kit, then it is all worth it.'_

But now, standing here before the king, her heart thumping in her chest, she realized that it _would_ have mattered. She would have felt a terrible sadness at never seeing him again. And this this moment she realized how deeply and truly she loved him, and how happy she was that she was not going to have to endure that bleak existence she had resigned herself to.

"Please," said the king, as he indicated that she should sit.

Ella sat, butterflies fluttering in her chest. She watched the king kneel and extended her foot for him to take. As he slid the glass slipper unto her foot and it fit, Ella released a breath that she hadn't known she was holding and as the king looked up at her and smiled, she felt her face stretching into a smile to match his.

After her terse goodbye to her stepmother and step sisters, she left the house with Kit, where he promptly helped her up unto a horse, before quickly climbing back unto his own mount. After giving the order, they set out to return to the castle at once.

Ella felt so happy. She kept sneaking glances over at Kit, but soon realized she needn't bothered sneaking, since almost every time she looked over at him, she would find his gaze already looked on her. Despite the rocking motions of the horse and the sea of soldiers around them, his gaze remained constant on her, almost as if he was afraid to look away for fear that she would disappear.

Before Ella knew it, they had arrived back at the castle gates. Ella remembered passing through these gates for the first time when she went to the Ball. She was nervous then. And even though this time, there was also a hint of nervousness, she was much more relaxed and at ease and she couldn't help but look over at Kit again, knowing that he was the reason for her feeling more calm and comfortable.

They dismounted the horses and Kit led her inside.

"My lady," Ella hear, and turning, saw Kit with his hand extended for her to take.

"If you would please come with me, we have much to discuss." Ella smiled and took his hand and he led her off to a private sitting room. Once inside, he dismissed the servants and closed the doors behind them. The king invited Ella to sit before sitting himself, across from her.

"My beautiful Cinderella," he began, "I searched everywhere for you. I'm so glad I found you. Please, tell me why you didn't stay."

Ella was taken aback by the depth of emotion in his eyes. She could see now that it had pained him to be away from her as much as it had pained her to be apart from him.

"Oh Kit… I've missed you too. It's quite a long story…" she began.

"Then I should like to hear it," the King said, "All of it. Please, tell me everything."

"Well…. If you insist…." And Cinderella began her tale of how she had lost her mother, how her father had remarried a woman with two daughters, how she had then lost her father, and instead of bonding together with her new step family, she had been reduced to a mere servant at their beck and call and everything was miserable until that one day when she met him and everything changed.

Then Ella told him of how she had wanted desperately to go the Ball and meet her apprentice friend 'Kit' but her hopes were dashed when her stepmother and step sisters ripped her dress to shreds and left without her.

She even told him of how, in her darkest moment, her prayers were answered by her Fairy Godmother who allowed her to go to the Ball and there she met up with Kit, only to have to leave the Ball right before she could give him her name. And how in the end her stepmother had found out and tried to manipulate her, but Ella refused to give in to her stepmother's demands.

"Oh Kit, I thought I'd never see you again," Ella admitted. "I was heartbroken, but I couldn't let her get her hands on you. I couldn't bear it if she broke you too, I just couldn't." As Ella spoke, her eyes shone with love and unshed tears.

"Oh Cinderella, I can't imagine how you must have suffered," the King said, his voice pained. Kit moved to sit on the couch next to her.

Taking her hand, he said "But I promise you. You will never have to endure any such hardships again."

Ella's looked up at him. She could see the sincerity on his face, in his eyes. She knew he spoke the truth.

"I know it," she said. "I believe I will be happy here."

"Always, _always_ ," the King promised. "I swear it. I will make you the happiest woman alive…if you'll let me.."

Ella looked up at the King, confused. She gave him a questioning look.

Realizing that Ella didn't understand what he was asking, the King's face took on a slight look of nervousness.

Letting go of her hand, the King eased off the couch and moved to kneel in front of Ella, in much the same position as he assumed when helping her put on her glass slipper. Ella's eyes widened and she gasped in surprise. She now understood what Kit was trying to say earlier.

"This isn't quite how I imagined doing this but… Cinderella, I-"

"Wait, please," Ella interrupted him.

For a second, the king looked crestfallen. Was she truly going to reject him? No. Perhaps she thought they were moving too fast? They hardly knew each other, after all.

Just as the King was about to rise from his kneeling position and move away, he heard her say:

"Ella. Call me Ella."

Looking up at her, the king saw her face shining with love and warmth, and just a hint of mirth in her eyes. His smile returned.

"Very well then," The king began again, "Ella, I know we haven't known each other very long but I feel as if our souls have been made for each other. I want to spend the rest of my life making up for all the horrible things you've had to endure in your life and you would make me the happiest man alive if you would do me the honor of….."

Ella waited, for the end of his speech, but he seemed unsure of how to finish. Smiling, she asked teasingly "of marrying you?"

"Yes, yes, marry me, marry me!" The king laughed out, "I want you to marry me."

Ella felt her heart swell with the love she felt for him and she didn't need to hesitate or think it over. She knew this was meant to be.

"Yes. Yes I'll marry you!" She responded almost breathlessly.

"Indeed?" the King asked, moving to sit beside her again. Then he looked up into her face. Ella nodded, smiling.

"Ella, you've made me the happiest man in the world. I love you so much!"

"Oh Kit! I love you too!" Ella responded.

Taking her hands in his, the King gave Ella a brilliant smile. Ella returned his smile and as her mind whirled, with thoughts of the future, she knew she could face anything as long as her Kit was by her side.

 **A/N: It's short I know, but the second chapter has already been written, so if it's not uploaded with this one, it should be uploaded soon after.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi everyone! Here is chapter 2! I made this one a bit longer and such so overall it should be better. I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter Two

His Royal Highness King Kit was of two minds at this current moment in time. On one hand, he was overjoyed at having finally found the mystery girl who had plagued his mind and wormed her way into his heart from that first fateful meeting in the woods. And now she had just agreed to marry him! How could things possibly be bad?

Well, on the other hand, he was shocked. Absolutely appalled. He couldn't believe that Ella had had to endure all that she had. And the fact that her abusers were none other than those who were supposed to be _family!_ Kit couldn't fathom it. It was inconceivable. Kit knew that they could not be allowed to continue going about daily life as if nothing had happened. Even though Ella had forgiven them, Kit knew that as King, this was one of those moments where he could not sit idly by and let things just go on as they would. For now though, he was content to spend the rest of the evening with the lovely Ella, who, as previously mentioned, had just agreed to become his bride.

And so the King decided to put away the matter for the evening. Taking Ella's hand in his, he smiled and said "Come, we must inform every one of the good news."

He led her out into main chamber of the palace, where he invited all those nearby to gather around. Raising his voice so as to be heard more clearly, he said :

"Everyone, if I could have your attention for a moment, I'd like to make a special announcement."

All the servants and those in the general vicinity immediately stopped what they were doing and gave their full attention to the King. Many of them having seen the beautiful maiden by his side and noted his joyful demeanor already had an idea of what he was going to say. Nevertheless, they all gave him their full attention and waited patiently on what he was about to say.

The King began to speak. "Everyone, I have some good news. I know you all have been waiting for me to find a bride, and I am here to tell you that the day has finally come. I am pleased to announce that this lovely creature here at my side, has agreed to become my bride and your Queen, and to stay at my side for the rest of our lives together. I hope that you would all embrace her and treat her with the respect and kindness that she deserves."

There was an immediate buzz around the room. Almost everyone had seen or heard of the mysterious young woman who had showed up the Ball a few weeks ago and captured the then Prince's attention from the moment she stepped in the room. Judging from the extensive search that had ensued in the days following the Ball to supposedly find this "mysterious princess", it appears that the young lady had not only captured the King's attention, but also his whole heart.

Now, anyone with eyes could see that from the way the King was gazing at this woman by his side, and her equally affectionate returning glances, that they had finally found each other and that the King was very happy. And anything that made the King happy, made his servants and subjects happy. So when the Captain of the guards stepped forward to say that he was most pleased with the news and to offer his heartiest congratulations to the couple, it was no surprise that the entirety of the room erupted in resounding applause.

For Ella's part, she was so happy she thought her face would split from all the smiling. If there was any doubt in her mind that she would be happy here or that she had made the wrong decision, it was quickly swept away by all of the love and warmth she felt from everyone in the room, especially from her intended, who kept a firm but gentle hold of her hand the entire time. It would be hard to miss the love and devotion in his gaze as well, especially since that gaze never strayed too far from her for long.

She felt her face grow warm from the intensity of his stare, coupled with the resounding applause that started up. Ella shyly smiled at the crowd. At the sound of Kit's voice, she looked towards him again.

"We'd be very pleased if you all would show your support by sharing in our union. The wedding will be held here in three days. That is all. If you would kindly excuse us everyone, my lords and ladies, we would like to have our dinner shortly."

Before the crowd fully dispersed, the King quietly asked a few maids to prepare a room for Ella and instructed a few other servants to prepare a small dinner for the two of them and have it set up on the table out on the small balcony. Then, still with a firm grip on Ella's hand, he started to lead her up the steps and out towards to balcony where their dinner would be set up.

Ella was vaguely aware of more buzzing from the lords, ladies and servants gathered but she was more concerned with what the King had just announced. _Three days?_ Would there be enough time? She wanted to say something about it but felt that now in front of everyone was not the right time. As the crowd started to disperse, she decided to say something about it but then Kit was leading her off to the dinner table.

As they reached the balcony, the King turned to Ella. Before he could even open his mouth to speak, he heard her say:

"Did you really just say we were to be married in three days? Is that enough time? Isn't that a bit sudden?"

Kit was a bit taken aback. He had been so caught up in the moment that he didn't think to stop and consult with Ella before making such a declaration.

" Oh! I….I'm sorry…. I didn't realise…" Kit's face took on an earnest expression.  
"My lady, I would marry you this second if I could. Those days following the Ball when I couldn't find you were torture. I felt like I'd lost you without ever really being given the chance to know you. I only decided to schedule the wedding three days from now to allow everyone to the time to make the wedding preparations. I never meant to make you feel rushed. It's just… I want you to be my Queen, to be by my side, as soon as possible. The King took Ella's hands in his and looked down into her face. "Will you allow me that honor?"

Hearing the King's confession and sincere plea, Ella's niggling anxiety dissipated. She nodded and smiled.

Seeing her consent, the King allowed himself to release the breath he'd been holding and offered a bright smile in return.

"Thank you. You don't know how happy this makes me"

Kit felt a strong urge to be close to Ella and he moved in closer to her. As they leaned closer together, however, a sharp tinkling sounded and it startled them enough to pull apart. As they looked toward the source of the noise, they saw one of the butlers holding a small silver bell. He cleared his throat, offered a quick apology and announced that dinner was now going to be served while indicating the table.

Ella and Kit realized that the table was now fully set and the servants were waiting for them to be seated before serving the food. They both grew a bit embarrassed but Kit recovered quickly and, clearing his throat, he moved to pull out a chair for Ella before moving to sit beside her.

Once both were seated, the servants began to uncover the dishes and serve the food. Ella and Kit enjoyed a delicious, comfortable meal together.

After dinner, they continued to talk for a bit. The King made Ella squeal with laughter with stories from childhood. All too soon, they heard the clock strike midnight. Of course, now with Ella living in the palace, the time had no bearing on them being able to spend time together…except that Kit caught Ella trying to stifle a yawn. Smiling tenderly at her, he rose and offered her his hand.

"Come," he said. "It's time we retire for the night, I think. You've had a long day , after all. I'll escort you to your room."

He led her down a hallway until he stopped in front of one of the doors.

"Well… this is your room," he said.

"Thank you," Ella replied, turning to look at him. "And thank you for a wonderful evening."

"No, thank _you_ ," The King replied. "For making this one of many wonderful evenings to come."

Ella blushed and shyly ducked her head as she turned the knob and moved to go inside.

"Ella-…I…."

"Yes?" She replied, turning back to him. As she looked up at him she could see that he was nervous. But why?

"Well I-..that is…." The King stammered…. "Never mind. Goodnight Ella." And he turned to walk down the hallway.

Ella suddenly could hear her mother's words echo in her ear. Be kind and _have courage._ Suddenly she felt a rush go through her.

"Kit!" she called suddenly.

"Yes?" Kit turned back at the sound her voice.

Before she lost all nerve, Ella took the few short steps that put her right in front of the King, stood up on her tiptoe and planted her lips firmly against his.

After a moment's stunned hesitation, Kit carefully placed his hands on her hips and began to gently move his lips against her soft, pliable ones.

All too soon, Ella pulled away, panting softly, a rosy tint to her cheeks. The King was in a similar state; his chest heaving, his eyes shining.

Ella quickly walked back to her room and as she turned to shut the door she offered the King a shy smile and said "Goodnight, Mr. Kit."

"Good-" Kit cleared his throat and tried again. "Goodnight Ella. Sleep well."

As Ella closed her and Kit turned to walk down the hallway to the royal bedchambers, he thought to himself, _At least one of us has to._


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! Here's chapter three for you. Hope you like it as much as I do.**

 **Chapter Three**

 **The Next Morning**

The next morning came quickly for Ella. She was used to waking up early back at home to prepare breakfast for her stepmother and step sisters and it took her a moment to realise that this room was neither the dark, cold lonely attic where she had been confined to, neither was it in front of the dying fireplace. When she realized that she would never again have to sleep in front of the fireplace just to keep warm at night, or wake up early to start off her day as a servant for her adoptive family, a slow smile spread across her face.

She was at the palace. _This_ was her home now, since she had agreed to marry the King and spend the rest of her life by his side as his wife and Queen. These thoughts brought a sense of comfort and peace that she had not known in a long time and due to this, she was able to close her eyes and fall back to sleep, seeing that it was barely dawn anyway.

When the King awoke, it was with a sense of satisfaction and of purpose. For one thing, those thoughts and feelings from the night before about Ella did not fully dissipate throughout the night. In fact, he had woken in the middle of the night, with his heart racing, and the feel of her soft lips and luscious body on his mind. The King had felt a bit overwhelmed. Like most everyone else, he had discovered his budding sexual maturity as a teenager and had in due time begun to explore it in the privacy of his own room. However, it was another thing entirely to have those kinds of thoughts and urges that included someone else.

After attempting to ignore it and go back to sleep, then giving up on that idea after tossing and turning for a while, Kit realized that he'd have to….. take matters into his own hands, as it were. He slowly eased off the loose pants he'd worn to bed and took hold of his already engorged member. Things progressed smoothly enough, until in the throes of passion, his mind conjured a picture of Ella, flushed and out of breath, lying on his bed, wearing nothing but those dainty glass slippers. Kit gasped as all of a sudden he felt that familiar coiling in his gut and then his passion erupted. His chest heaving, Kit opened eyes he didn't even realized he'd closed and stared wearily and in awe at the ceiling. After cleaning himself off, he got back into bed, and within minutes, he fell back to sleep.

Now, awake the next morning, the King's mind again drifted to the amazing, extraordinary creature who'd agreed to become his wife. Kit couldn't wait til they got married. He was so excited to spend more time with her. However, as he got out of bed and moved to the bathroom to take a shower before calling in the servants and allowing them to help him get dressed, his joy was interrupted. All at once, Kit remembered what Ella had shared with him the day before regarding her stepmother and step sisters and his shock at what they'd done to her returned.

As he got ready for the day, he sent one of the servants with a message to the Captain. He was to meet with him immediately after breakfast in the private study to discuss the matter. The King also sent a few more servants off with other messages. A couple of them were to go help Ella get dressed for the day and another one was sent with a few messages to be delivered to certain establishments in the kingdom and provided a much lighter note to the morning so that by the time the king was ready to meet Ella and have breakfast with her, he had a spring in his step and a twinkle in his eye.

What finally awoke Cinderella was not the hour of that day but rather a knock on her door. Opening her eyes and sitting up slowly, Ella called out to ask who it was.

"We've come to help you with your bath, Miss Ella," Was the reply. Help her with her bath? Why on earth would she need someone to help her do something she'd done on her own all her life? Opening the door, Ella found two maids outside, who both curtsied upon seeing her.

"Good morning, may we come in?" one of them asked. Ella stepped back to allow them inside, but when the same one asked if she could draw a bath for her, Ella's face took on a bewildered expression and she asked the maid why would she need her to do that?

"It's the King's orders madam. We were sent to help you get ready for breakfast."

"Oh," she replied. Now though Ella couldn't see the point in it- after all, she'd never needed help taking a bath before- although to be fair, she'd always been the one to draw a bath for her stepmother and step sisters- she decided to allow them to help her get ready, especially since she didn't know if they would get in trouble for not following orders.

"Shall I draw you a bath, madam?" one of them asked.

"Call me Ella, please. And yes, that would be lovely."

While one of them went to the adjacent bathroom and began to fill up the tub, Ella turned to the other maid and asked her name.

"I'm Jane, Miss Ella, and she's Katheryn, but we just call her Kate."

Ella smiled and said she was pleased to meet their acquaintance.

When the tub was full, the two maids moved to help Ella get undressed. After a mild moment of discomfort, she allowed them to help her disrobe, but firmly told them that she was more than capable of giving herself a bath. To forestall any more protests, she suggested that they could help her in other ways by maybe tidying up the room, which would also be a big help to her, and so they wouldn't get into any trouble for not following orders.

After bathing, Cinderella emerged from the bathroom with a robe on and belted at the waist. She found that the two servants had made short work of making the bed and tying open the curtains in the room. As she moved over the bed, she saw that they were both waiting for her and that a new dress had been laid out on the bed. The dress was a beautiful pale yellow, with short sleeves. After a moment's confusion, Ella realized that not only was this meant for her to wear, but that the two maids, no, that Jane and Kate were waiting for her to allow them to help get her dressed. Once again however, Ella protested, but finally she gave in and allowed them to lace up the back after she had put on her slip and then the dress.

"Would you like us to help you with your hair, madam?"

Ella would have declined and just simply brushed out her hair herself and put in a simple braid as usual, but she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the large mirror of the vanity table. Ella had never taken much interest in her appearance, but seeing herself in this, to her mind, grand, elegant dress, she realized that it would probably be a good idea to try to pay at least a little more attention to her appearance… giving that she was to become the King's bride…

"Yes, please," Ella replied. Jane indicated that she should sit by the vanity then proceeded to gently towel off the remaining water from Ella's hair. Then she began to brush it out. In the end, Jane settled for styling Ella's hair into a bun, with some of Ella's hair swept to the front, and then she tied a yellow ribbon around the bun. Afterwards, they helped Ella put on her shoes, and informed her that the King would be waiting to have breakfast with her.

"Oh! Indeed?" Ella asked excitedly. A large smile broke out on her face at the thought that she would be seeing him again for breakfast.

"Yes mada- er Miss Ella. Kate can escort you to the dining room, if you'd like."

Ella agreed and after checking her reflection once more in the mirror, she thanked the two maids and allowed Kate to escort her to the smaller dining room. She was so excited. She felt like a new person in this dress and she hoped that Kit could see how well she cleaned up. Finally they reached the smaller dining room and another pair of servants opened the doors for her to step through. Ella thanked them and stepped in and immediately her eyes landed on her handsome Kit seated at the head of the table with his head down. As she drew closer, she noticed that his demeanor was somewhat stiff. She wondered what was wrong.

Ella began to walk towards him. Out of the corner of his eye, Kit caught the movement of something yellow. As he looked up and saw Ella, his eyes widened. _Beautiful._ Was all he could think.

 **A/N: How was it? Did you like it? I'm trying my best with it. I'm also really excited to see where this story will go. I have an idea of the end goal of course but what happens between now and the worlds "The End" well….. We'll see won't we?** **Reviews would be greatly appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 **A/N: Hello! Here's chapter 4 for you! Hope you like it!**

Sitting at the table, his mind full of thoughts of what he and the Captain had to discuss, Kit didn't notice at first that Ella was approaching. As she came close however, he noticed the presence of someone and looked up to see her coming towards him. His eyes widened in surprise and one word popped into his head. _Beautiful._

Ella looked stunning. The yellow dress suited her perfectly. It had sleeves that came just to her elbows and a classic neckline that curved just at the top of her breasts in the style commonly worn by ladies nowadays. It matched her skin tone and wavy blonde hair. She was a vision.

He was so entranced with looking at her that he didn't hear her at first when she opened her mouth to ask him a question. It was only after he noticed her brows drawn together in a concerned expression that he realized she was waiting for him to reply. He hastily stood up from the table in greeting and asked:

"What-" ahem "Sorry, what was that?"

"I asked if you were alright. You seemed upset."

"Oh! No no no! It's nothing. Everything's fine." The King offered Ella what he hoped was an assuring smile.

"Are you sure? I can't help but feel as if something is wrong."

"No nothing's wrong. Everything is fine. In fact, seeing you here standing before me….in that dress…. Makes everything more than fine, if you don't mind my saying so."

Ella's face turned a rosy shade of red. It wasn't just the way she looked or felt in the dress that made her face colour up. It was also something about the way the King was looking at her. It made her feel even grander than the dress did.

She offered a bright smile and did a twirl. "Do you like it? I love it. It's beautiful."

"Beautiful indeed," she heard him murmur. Something about the tone of his voice made her straighten and turn to really look at him. He was standing there looking at her with this intense gaze.

Ella felt a little flutter in her stomach as she moved up close to him. When she was standing right in front of him, she went up on her tiptoe and kissed him softly on the cheek. Then she pulled back and said "Thank you."

At his confused look she continued. "For the lovely dress… and the compliment." She shyly lowered her eyes as she said this.

"No, not at all. It is I who should be thanking you. I truly must be the luckiest man alive to be able to see such a vision in the morning, and for many mornings to come." He took her hands in his and said "No my lady. It is I who must be thanking you." Then he brushed a soft kiss over first the back of one hand, then the other.

Embarrassed with all the attention, Ella needed something to distract herself, otherwise her face would never be its normal colour again.

"Shall we have breakfast?" she asked.

"Yes, of course." The King signaled to the servants to begin bringing in the food and led Ella over to a chair where he pulled it back for her to take a seat.

Just as they had taken their last bites and the servants began to clear away the dishes- Ella thanking them all for the wonderful meal- a messenger came in with a note for the King. After reading it quickly he thanked the messenger and turned to look at Ella.

"Forgive me my lady, but I won't be able to spend the day with you today. I have some important matters to attend to."

"Oh." Ella tried not to look crestfallen. It would be unreasonable to expect that the King would be able to spend all of his free time with her. Ella knew she had to be gracious and understanding and so she said "Of course, your highness. I hope everything goes well."

Kit took Ella's hand in his across the table. "Why so formal all of a sudden? Have I upset you? I'm sorry. I wouldn't leave you today if it weren't important. I promise I'll make it up to you."  
"Oh no no no! That's quite alright. You have nothing to apologize for!" she hastened to reassure him. "It's just…..well… with the wedding so soon, there's still so much to do… and… I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing!"

The King stopped and thought about that for a second, then a slow smile spread across his face. He rose to his feet, offered Ella his hand to help her up and said to her:

"Come my lady. I think I have the perfect place for you to start."

Ella wondered where they were going. The King led Ella back down to the end of the hallway and through a swinging double door. As they passed through the door, Ella saw that they were in a large kitchen. There were several people at various stations tending to various pots and dishes. As the cooks noticed that the King and his intended were present, they all stopped what they were doing to give a little bow, murmur a greeting, offer a smile or in some way acknowledge their king and future queen. Ella thought to herself that the king really must be well beloved by his staff.

"Kit my boy! How wonderful to see you!" As they turned toward to source of the voice that was loud enough to clearly be heard over the general bustling in the kitchen, Ella saw a short, plump little man hurrying towards them. He had a round face, chubby cheeks and a thick dark moustache. As he approached them, he stuck out his hand and when he got within arm's reach he reached out, grabbed the king's hand with his extended one and pulled him into a hearty embrace, even thumping Kit on the back.

When he pulled back, he looked at Ella and asked "And who is this lovely lady, eh?"

Kit stepped forward and said "Marco, I'd like you to meet Ella, my intended. Ella, this is Marco. He's been the head cook here since before I was born."

Ella smiled and opened her mouth to say how pleased she was to meet him but before she had a chance, she found herself also pulled into a hearty embrace by the slightly shorter portly man. He didn't thump her on the back like he did with Kit but instead Ella found herself lifted off the floor and spun all the way around before being put back down.

Back on her feet, Ella finally caught her breath enough to say that she was very pleased to meet him, to which he replied:

"Oh no no no _mia cara,_ the pleasure is all mine! I heard about the mysterious beauty who had my Kit wrapped around his little finger, but I never imagined she would be as lovely as you!"

Ella's cheeks coloured. She was in no way used to people referring to her using words like _lovely_ or _beauty._

"He's right you know," Ella heard. She looked up into the loving, smiling face of the king. "You are indeed lovely." Then Kit took one of Ella's hands in his and pressed a soft kiss unto the back of it.

"Oh! I'm so excited! I am already planning the feast in my head!" Marco clapped his hands together excitedly and a large grin spread across his face.

"Feast?" Ella broke away from the king's gaze to turn an enquiring look on Marco.

"Yes! For the wedding of course! It will be magnificent!"

"Right! The wedding feast!" The king cut in. "Actually Marco, that's exactly what I came here to talk to you about. My lovely bride-to-be seems to be having a bit of trouble with the wedding planning. So I thought that maybe she'd start here."

"Wedding planning?" Ella repeated, a bit shocked. "You want me to plan the wedding?"

"Well…. Yes.. that is… if you'd like. I just thought it'd be good for you. You'll be able to have everything exactly as you want it. And since I won't be able to spend the day with you, I thought this might be a good way to pass the time."

Ella couldn't believe it. Kit wanted her to plan the wedding? _Their wedding?_ It hardly seemed real. Just days ago, she's been unable to even have a quiet moment to herself because her "family" had kept her so busy. And now here she was with the whole day free not just to relax but to plan _her own wedding!_

"Well? Ella? What do you say? Would you mind helping Marco plan out the feast for the wedding?"

Ella was so stunned she hardly knew what to say. The only thing that came out was a breathless "Yes yes! Absolutely!"

Kit smiled. It warmed his heart to see Ella so happy, and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret that something so small could have such a huge impact on her.

"Great! I'm glad!" The king said to her. To Marco he said: "I'll leave her in your care."

Turning back to Ella, he said, "My lady, I'll be off now. I should be back some time later this afternoon. I'll see you when I return."

Kit turned to go but before he had taken more than a few steps, he heard his name being called.

Turning, he was met with a pair of very soft lips as they collided somewhat forcefully with his. When Ella stepped back, her eyes were shining. "I….I didn't get to thank you. For this. You don't know how much it means to me."

Kit's heart sank. That little niggling feeling of sorrow for her grew all the more. Her reaction in this way again confirmed for him the kind of life she must have led while living with those… _people._

Swallowing thickly around the lump in his throat, Kit took Ella's hands in his, and looked her in the eyes. "Ella, my darling, listen to me. There is nothing that is within my power to grant you that I would ever deny you. Never. You don't have to thank me for allowing you to plan your own wedding. I love you and I will do everything in my power to make you happy. I promise."

Kit leaned in and placed a gentle kiss to her lips and then to her brow before gently breaking away from her.

"Will you be alright? You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"No no! I want to! Go I'll be fine. I'll see you later?"

Kit smiled at her and said: "Count on it" Before he again took his leave.

The King went back to his private study where he was to meet with the Captain of the guard. When he opened the door and stepped inside, he found the man already there awaiting him. He came to attention when he spotted the King.

"Good, you're here. Have a seat."

"Thank you, your majesty," the captain said. He waited until the King had moved behind the desk to sit before taking his own seat.

"Now, we have much to discuss."

The Captain sat and waited patiently for his king to explain.

"As you know, my intended and I expect to marry in a few days. I expect everything to be perfect for her."

The Captain nodded.

"This brings me to matter at hand. I cannot have those…. _people_ who called themselves her "family" around at the wedding."

"I understand, Your majesty. I'll tell the guards to look out for them and stop them from…"

"No! No. That won't do." The King interrupted. "They'd still be in the kingdom. They'd still be too _close!_ "

"Here the captain's face took on a more grim expression and he leaned in to ask the king softly: "Sire, just what exactly is it you intend to do?"

Kit turned and looked the captain dead in the eyes and said ominously: "I think it's a lovely day for a ride in the countryside, don't you?"

 **A/N: There you have it! Chapter Four done! I've already begun working on chapter five so don't worry. Hopefully it won't take me too long to get up. I'm glad I could make the chapter longer for you. Don't forget to leave a review ok?**

 **Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

As the King walked out the main entrance to the palace and prepared to meet up with the Captain and a few of his men in the courtyard with the horses, his face assumed a grim expression. Ella's reaction to that seemingly small incident once again caused those feelings of shock and outrage to flare up. As he neared the gathering of men at the foot of the long outside staircase, he made up his mind. He knew exactly what he had to do and there was no way he could put it off any longer. He mounted his horse and when everyone was ready, they all set off.

About two hours later, they reached the forest they would have to get through to get to the house. As they set out on the path that would lead them there, the king's face took on a grim expression. All the way there, he had been going over in his head just what he would do and say to them when he saw them again. He knew that by the time the meeting was over, that something monumental would have taken place.

Finally, they could see the house coming into view. As they came to a stop in front of the house, one of the soldiers dismounted and went up the door to announce that the King was outside and wished to speak with the lady of the house. As the King and his captain dismounted, the door opened, to reveal Ella's stepmother.

As she opened the door and spotted them, her eyes grew so large, it would have been comical under different circumstances. But when she opened her mouth to speak, her voice was steady when she said "Your majesty! Please….come in."

The King and the captain followed her inside and were led into the sitting area. The stepmother tried to maintain a façade of calm by asking if her guests wanted anything but the curt "No, thank you." From the captain quickly put a halt to that.

For a moment, the king simply sat and surveyed first the room, then the woman sitting across from him. Everything looked normal enough. There were paintings and pictures on the walls, the furniture was tasteful, if a bit dark, the rugs on the floor were colorful and expensive. It all appeared to be how a normal family with some wealth would furnish their home.

And yet, the longer he examined the room and the woman sitting across from him, with her hair tastefully done up, her velvet and silk dress in dark green and black, he could see less and less the normalcy that they pretended and more and more of the cruelty of the monsters that they truly were. Finally, when he could stand it no more, he spoke.

"I ought to have you executed for what you did to Ella."

As he said this, the stepmother gave a sharp gasp and she grew white as a sheet. Beside him, the captain had sharply looked over at him. He was prepared to follow his king's wishes, whatever they may be but he couldn't say he wasn't surprised at this declaration.

The king, however, had never taken his eyes off of Ella's stepmother. Just as she was about to open her mouth to beg for her life, he lifted a hand and silenced her.

"But, I'm not going to do that. I'm going to have mercy on you. So instead, you and your daughters will pack your belongings and leave this house, and leave my kingdom. And if I _ever_ hear that you've returned here, then, I promise you, we'll both regret my letting you live in the first place. Is that clear?"

"Ye- yes yes. Your majesty." All pretense of calm long gone by now, it was a wonder that the stepmother was even still conscious. She had grown dangerously pale. Her dark dress now made her skin look lifeless like a corpse.

As the king rose to leave, he said "I suggest that as soon we leave, you start packing. You have two days to get out. I won't have you still around when Ella and I begin our lives together."

Turning, he started to walk out the sitting room in order to go to the main door and leave but just as he reached the archway, he stopped and turned back.

"There's one question I'd like to ask before I leave. Not that it will change my decision any but still, I'd like to know."

The woman turned and looked up at him, waiting.

"Why? Why did you treat her the way you did? What could she have possibly done to make you hate her so much?"

The stepmother turned to him, even with her pail skin and ashen expression, she still managed to show some anger at the mention of her step daughter.

"Why? You want to know _why?_ Because she thought she was better than me! Than _my daughters!_ That little _peasant girl!_ She didn't know her place! She should have been grateful that we took care of her as long as we did! That ungrateful little-"

" _ENOUGH!"_ The king's chest was heaving. He was so mad he couldn't think straight. His hands were balled into fists and his jaw ached, he had it clenched so tight. A vein in his forehead throbbed. He wanted nothing more than to go over there and throttle her. It was a wonder he hadn't done so already. It was probably because he was so angry and shocked that he couldn't move.

"You….. you _monster!_ You made that woman's life a living hell! You tried to destroy someone with such a beautiful spirit, such a loving soul… all because you failed to be a good mother and teach your children the right morals and values? All because you were jealous. Of a child! You disgust me."

The King turned away from her and prepared to leave. "You have two days to get the hell out. You had best be gone by that time." Then he walked right out the door followed closely the captain.

Still furious beyond comprehension, he walked back out to the horses and mounted his steed by rote. After just sitting there for a while, the captain asked if they should set out for the palace, to which the king replied "Not yet."

XOXOXOXOXO

Ella had an absolutely wonderful day. She could honestly say that this was one of the best, most fun days she's had in a while. She spent most of the day either in the kitchen or in the large dining room with Marco, going over the menu for the wedding.

In between tasting the dishes, Marco kept her entertained with stories from Kit's childhood which had her reeling with laughter.

"My," Ella gasped in between laughs, "Kit certainly was a rambunctious child."

'That he was, my dear, that he was. But you know, he turned out well in the end. He's already making a fine king. And now with you here, we will have a noble queen as well."

Ella once again felt her face heat up. It was all still so new to her. The idea that her life could change so drastically from one extreme to the other, it was almost too good to be true.

Finally, they had come to a satisfactory agreement on the menu for the wedding reception. The only left to decide on was the wedding cake. When Ella mentioned it, Marco asked her to allow him to take care of it, saying that he wanted it to be a surprise for them. It would be his special gift to the couple.

Touched by the gesture, especially since she realized that Marco was doing it for her as much as for Kit, even though he'd only just met her, she could do nothing but agree and thank him profusely for his kindness.

"Think nothing of it, _mia bella._ Now you run along. I will take care of everything here."

XOXOXOXOXO

Ella went back to main ballroom and asked the servants there if the King had returned. After finding out that he wasn't back yet, Ella decided that she needed to do something to take her mind off of missing him. She made a quick beeline back to her room.

After rifling through the closet, she found a few garments that would work for her and quickly stripped out of her fine yellow dress in order to don the other garments, which consisted of a cream riding pants and a light blue blouse with a matching jacket. She also made sure to change to more comfortable shoes. After leaving her room, she made sure to inform the servants that she would be taking a ride outside the palace, then she went out through one of the side doors of the palace. Finally, Ella came to where she wanted to go: The royal stables.

As she approached the stable doors, one of the stable hands came out to greet her. After explaining the situation, the young man asked her to wait there and went inside. When he came back, she saw him leading behind him a beautiful grey mare by the reins. 

After he helped her mount the horse, Ella thanked him. Then she gave the horse's flanks a gentle kick and urged it into a canter up to the palace gates. When they had passed through, Ella increased the pace to a trot. Finally, when she was clear of the majority of the town and other buildings, Ella urged the animal into a full-on run down a path that led into the woods. It felt so good to be riding again.

Although it had only been a couple of days since she'd last been on a horse, it had been a while since she'd really been able to just enjoy riding. She loved to feel the breeze in her face and hair, the rocking motions of the animal actually helped to soothe rather than jostle her. Taking a ride through the woods like this was so peaceful and nice. It was even more enjoyable because it was one of the things she and her parents used to do when she was a little girl, before her mother died. _'Perhaps Kit would like to take a ride with me one day. I'll have to ask him.'_

For now though, Ella was content to enjoy the soothing sounds of nature, the warm sunshine on her back, all by her lonesome. She allowed the animal to slow down a bit. No sense in rushing. She had all afternoon to be out here, as Ella didn't expect the king to be back for a while. And she wanted to bask in every minute of this trip.

XOXOXOXOXO

As Ella finally returned to the palace a few hours later, she was in a wonderful mood. It truly had been a wonderful day. The only thing that would make it better was if she got to have dinner with Kit and spend some time with him afterwards. She found she was quite looking forward to that part.

After she dismounted her horse and left it in the care of another stable hand, she was on her way from the stables to the main entrance to the palace. Rounding a corner, she saw up ahead what appeared to be a group of soldiers who had just come back from a trip, given that they all had steeds. Then her face lit up as she spotted Kit among them. She looked to quicken her pace and raised an arm to hail him, but stopped short. She was near enough now to see his body language. That rigid posture and clenched fists… something was definitely off.

Ella decided that the best thing to do would be the leave him be for now. Perhaps he was just tired? In any case, if it were something bad, now would definitely not be a good time to bring it up. So went in another direction and entered the palace through one of the side entrances. She would wait until dinner when she saw him and determine from there if she should bring it up or not.

 **A/N: There you go! Chapter five is done! I realise it's moving a bit slowly. Sorry about that. It was supposed to be one chapter representing one day but that's not happening…. I'll try to speed things up a little but in some circumstances I dislike time skips so don't expect the next chapter to start with "It was the day of the wedding." No no. None of that. Also, I realise that Ella is always initiating the kisses and such but I want it to be sweet and with Kit it wouldn't be….** _ **Sweet….**_ **Lol.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

 **A/N: Hello my lovelies! Here we are with Chapter 6! Like I said in the previous chapter, I'll try to speed certain things up….but this scene coming up won't be one of them lol. It** _ **has**_ **to happen, for reasons that I hope would be obvious, but I'll see what I can do in the future.**

Ella went up to her room, all the while smiling and nodding at those along the way, as much to be courteous and as much to maintain an air of calm, lest anyone notice that something was off and alert the King before she was ready to confront him.

Closing the door to her room behind her as she entered, Ella crossed over and sat on the bed. She tried to sort out her thoughts. She'd thought Kit was acting a bit odd since this morning but he'd assured her that everything was fine. And not having known him for very long, who was she to say otherwise? Ella's heart was pounding in her chest. What she really wanted to do right now was to go and confront the King forthwith. Ask him about his odd behavior. _No._ A voice inside her said. _What you really should do is give him a chance to explain himself._

Now was not a good time to confront him. She should wait until later, and confront him in private. As Ella sat there pondering, there was a knock at the door. After staring at the door in confusion and slight panic, she bid the person to come in. When the door opened, the two maids from that morning, Kate and Jane, stepped in.

"Excuse us, Miss Ella, we're here to get you ready for dinner." Kate said.

"No, that won't be… necessary." Ella said shakily. She had to pause for a breath before finishing.

"Are you alright Miss Ella?" Jane asked.

Ella realized that the last thing she wanted to do right now was to take out her bad mood on the two maids, who were just trying to do their jobs. So instead, she took a deep breath, let it out slowly and said to them "Yes, yes I'm fine. I don't need any help with my bath this evening. But if you would be so kind, I'd like you to pick out something for me to wear to dinner please."

"Of course Miss Ella," Kate said.

Ella got up and went into the adjacent bathroom. She undressed almost by rote; her mind was too clouded to really think about anything. Looking at the tub, Ella quickly dismissed it. Instead, she went to the other corner of the room and got in the shower stall. As she started to soap and lather her skin however, her skin suddenly felt too feverish. The warm water made her feel like she couldn't breathe. She quickly turned the faucet to cold water and let it beat on her body full blast. The cold water helped to quiet her restless mind, in much the same way as the cool breeze had done when it hit her face on her ride earlier in the day.

She stepped out of the shower and felt a bit better. Her mind started to calm and return to its senses. She emerged from the bathroom clad in another robe where she found that the two maids had already laid out her attire for the evening. This time it was a lovely cream colored gown, with elbow length sleeves. Ella allowed them to help her get dressed this time. She was more preoccupied with studying what she would say to the King when she saw him. She wasn't quite sure what to make of what she saw, but she knew enough to know that something wasn't right.

By now, Ella was familiar enough with this part of the palace that she was able to make her way to the dining room on her own and so, after thanking the maids for their help, she started off to meet Kit.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Kit was not in the best of moods himself. It had been a very trying day and he was doing his best to forget the majority of it. Except for one little problem….. The object at the center of most of his thoughts was about to join him for dinner any minute. And he had no idea what to say to her. Should he come clean about the whole thing? He didn't want to upset her by mentioning those people and bringing up bad memories. On the other hand, perhaps she would more appreciate his honesty…?

Kit had no idea what to do about it. And it was starting to give him a headache. He could already feel the muscles in his forehead start to throb and his jaw was already sore from clenching it so hard. Seated at the head of the dining table with the servants busy laying the table, Kit leaned over and put his head in his hand.

And this was exactly how Ella found him as she entered the dining room. And in this moment, Ella knew that something was most certainly wrong.

Much like at breakfast that morning, Kit didn't realise Ella was there until she was only a few steps from him. But this time, when he looked up to find her approaching him, he hastened to his feet, as much to greet her as to hide his current state of mind. Similarly, Ella didn't comment on either of his actions, choosing instead to simply smile at him and offer a little curtsy in greeting.

"Your Grace," Ella said mildly.

"My lady. Good evening. You look…. Amazing, I must say."

Ella lowered her eyes and thanked him, smiling shyly.

"Shall we sit?" Kit held out a chair for Ella, then sat after she did. He motioned for the servants to start serving the food.

"So, how was your day? Did Marco help you with the wedding feast plans?"

"Oh, yes!" Ella had almost all but forgotten about how her day had started, having been so preoccupied about what she'd seen just an hour earlier.

She proceeded to tell him all about the decisions that she and Marco had made regarding the wedding reception menu and how there were so many dishes- most with names she had never heard of- that she wasn't even sure there would be enough people to eat them all.

The King laughed. "Well I'm sure that none of it will go to waste. Everyone in the Kingdom is invited, after all." Kit started to really relax. He really enjoyed the way Ella was so excited about something that to his mind, was a small thing. It amazed him and awed him that she could find joy in these 'little' things. It made him love her all the more.

Finally, Ella's recounting of her time with Marco came to an end. But when she asked him "So…how was your day?" everything changed.

Kit's smile instantly vanished. His face grew tense again. All of those warm, happy feelings that he'd been experiencing were quickly replaced by that anger that had been simmering all day since that encounter with Ella's stepmother.

Kit looked down into his plate. "Fine. It went fine."

"You don't look like it went fine…. Is something wrong?"

"No, no nothing's wrong. I told you-"

"Kit. I know something happened today. I've felt like you've been hiding something all day. Please tell me what it is!" Ella pleaded.

The king took a deep breath. "Ella please don't ask me that. It's nothing for you to worry about-"

"How can I not be worried when someone I love is clearly suffering? I may not know how things work here in your world, but where I come from, when people truly love each other, they don't treat each other this way. And I would know about that, wouldn't I?"

Ella threw down her napkin, pushed back from the table and left Kit sitting there feeling even worse than before.

XOXOXOXOXO

Ella found herself going back to the balcony where they had had dinner the night before. She found that after having her freedom so severely restricted, she sought solace in the outdoors rather than inside. As she gazed up at the night sky with all its glittering gems for stars, for the first time she wondered if this was truly going to work. How was she going to fit in here? She'd been so glad that everything was so different from her old life, but maybe perhaps it was too different to work out?

Ella sighed softly. But as soon as she started seriously wondering if she was doing the right thing in marrying the king, she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her. Turning, she came face to face with none other than the object of her confusion and turmoil.

"Ella, my lady, I'd like to have a word with you. If I may…"

Ella gave him a small nod, then turned back to face the balcony. The king moved to stand next to her. He too, looked up at the stars, but it seemed in more of a silent prayer kind of way. After a moment, he took a deep breath and said: "I've behaved badly these past couple days. I've kept things from you that I shouldn't have and I'm sorry."

Ella turned to him. "What things?" she asked mildly.

Kit turned to face her fully. "I went to see your stepmother and step sisters today." Pausing, he studied her face. Ella's eyes had had widened in surprise before her whole face took on an expression of understanding.

"Did this have something to do with why you were upset when you came back?... And at dinner tonight?"

It was Kit's turn to look surprised. So, she had seen him when he'd returned from his excursion. And she'd waited, hoping that maybe he'd tell her why at dinner…. And he'd failed to do it then too.

"Yes," he said uneasily. "I… I'm not even sure where to begin."

Seeing the distress on his face, Ella placed a hand on his shoulder. Softly she asked " Why did you go to see them?"

Kit hesitated but finally he said "I had to go see them. I had to meet the people who treated you so deplorably. They had to be punished!"

Ella's mouth opened in shock and she recoiled a bit in shock at both what he'd said and at the sudden display of temper. "Kit… what did you do?"

Kit looked her right in eye and said "I had them banished. They have two days to pack up their things and leave. They're never to set foot in this kingdom again." Seeing the disapproval on her face, he hastened to continue. "I know- I know you forgave them but I can't. I don't understand how someone could be so cruel to another human being, especially anyone as kind and loving as you. That woman truly is a _horrible_ human being, Ella."

Seeing the desperate, strained expression on his face and hearing his horrified tone, Ella understood that something else had taken place that had sealed his decision. Moving closer to him, Ella asked softly "What did she say to you, Kit?"

Cursing himself because he knew that what he was about to say would hurt her and that he wouldn't be able prevent her from hearing it, Kit hesitated a bit before taking a breath and saying flatly: "She said that you were ungrateful. That she'd done everything she could for you and you were never grateful. She said that you deserved the treatment you'd gotten…. That it was better than you deserved for thinking you were better than them." Kit's hands unconsciously clenched and unclenched at his sides as he spoke.

Ella's eyes widened in shock and her mouth fell open, but then she surprised him. Instead of bursting into tears as he thought she would, or getting angry and punching a wall, as _he_ wanted to do, Ella's face softened. She moved in closer until they were gently pressed against each other, looked up at him and said "Poor Kit…" Then she hugged him. Kit was so shocked at her response that he could do nothing for a moment. But after a short while, his hands found themselves worming around her to hug her back.

Breathing in the scent of her hair, he sighed and said "Truly I must be the luckiest man in the world, to have someone as kind and gracious and loving as you by my side. Oh Ella…" When she pulled back to look up into his face, he said simply "I love you," then leaned in and gently pressed his lips against hers.

Though it was a simple kiss, it lasted long enough that when he pulled back, he could feel the weight of what had transpired that day start to leave his shoulders. And looking into her eyes, he felt his heart lifting as well for he could read her understanding, and more importantly her forgiveness in her eyes. Kit smiled at her and when she returned it, he knew that this rough patch was over and things were back on their previous path.

Kit and Ella stayed out on the balcony for a while longer, watching the stars and just enjoying each other's company. Eventually though, it was time to go to bed. They walked back to Ella's room hand in hand. Reaching her door, Kit told her that he was sorry for lying to her and how grateful he was to her for her easy forgiveness.

Then he leaned in and kissed her again. This time, the kiss was a bit more intense and lasted a bit longer, as Kit tried to convey some of the things that he couldn't in words, through the kiss. Pulling back, he bid her goodnight and after seeing her safely inside her room, he turned and walked down the hallway and up to his private chambers.

As he undressed and got into bed, he reflected on how much worse that could have gone if Ella was not the strong, amazing, kind hearted woman that she was. He again marveled that she could be that way despite- or perhaps because of- the horrible way her stepmother and step sisters had treated her. In any case, Kit promised himself that he would never allow anyone to treat her that way again. And from this point on, he would do all in his power to make up for her horrible past, starting in the morning….

With thoughts of the next day circling about his mind….and how pleased Ella would be when he surprised her, Kit fell asleep with a smile on his face and a warm feeling in his chest.

 **A/N: There you have it guys! Chapter 6 all done! I had a tougher time with this one, it was going a slightly different way, but in the end, I like this better. I hope you do as well. Leave me a review and tell me what you think ok?**

 **-Shoi**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello my lovelies! Back again with Chapter 7. Had a bit of a challenge with this so that's why it took so long. Hope you enjoy! :)**

 **Chapter Seven**

The next day, Kit woke up feeling great. As he took his shower and got dressed, he sent one of his servants on an errand. Anticipation bloomed in his chest as he thought of the surprise he had for Ella.

Fully dressed, he left his room with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. Today was going to be the first of many days spent making Ella forget her horrible past.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Not too far away from the King's chamber, Ella woke up in her own room. She was in a similarly cheery mood, but hers was due to the events that unfolded the previous day, particularly in the evening. Ella could definitely feel that they were getting closer and it made her have little flutters in her chest. Moreover, the fact that he had felt such pain at the way she'd been treated, and his subsequent attempt, thought a bit extreme, to punish the ones responsible and right the wrong inflicted on her caused a rush of warmth to go through her body. Ever since her mother died, her father had retreated into himself, and she'd no longer had anyone to stick up for her. Then when her father died, she didn't even have anyone to comfort her. Until now.

A wide smile on her face, Ella stretched and hurriedly got out of bed. She couldn't wait to see Kit today. As her mind filled with thoughts of what meeting him today would be like, she heard a knock at the door. Calling for them to come in, she wasn't surprised when the two maids, Kate and Jane walked in.

"Good morning, girls," she said to them.

"Good morning, Miss Ella. Shall I draw you a bath?"

"Yes please."

As Jane went off to fill the tub, Kate began to make the bed. When Jane came to announce that the bath was ready, Ella allowed them to help her disrobe because she was in such a good mood and she didn't want to waste any time arguing, which would delay her seeing her handsome king.

After she emerged from the bathroom wearing a fresh robe, she found that as usual, they already had an outfit prepared for her. However, as she looked at the dress they picked out for her, a puzzled look crossed her face. The dress was considerably less fancy than the one she wore the previous day. It was a white, knee length, fit and flare type dress with short sleeves. The only detailing in this one was the lace covering the bodice of the dress.

It looked much the same as many of the dresses she had grown up wearing- although this was much better quality- and normally Ella wouldn't have a problem in the slightest but she was feeling as if she wanted to dress up today, almost as a tribute to her growing attachment to the king.

At her confused look, Kate asked if anything was the matter. "No, it's just… Well it's a beautiful dress…but… I had expected something similar to one from yesterday, that's all."

"Oh, begging your pardon, Miss Ella, but we were told to choose something lighter for today."

More confused now, but also intrigued, Ella asked why that was the case, but the two maids themselves had no idea. They only said that that was what they were told. So Ella decided that the best way to get any answers was to simply ask Kit, since it seemed likely that he would be behind it. And since she had to get dressed to do that, she let the matter drop and allowed the young women to help her get dressed. Fully dressed, Ella thanked them and headed off in the direction of the small dining room to have breakfast with Kit.

As she stepped into the dining room this morning, Kit immediately looked up, and smiling, stood to greet her with a warm "Good morning." Ella could immediately tell that he was in a much better mood today. After returning his greeting and smile, she took the seat that he had pulled out for her and waited for him to sit. Kit motioned for the servers to begin sharing out the food.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"I did indeed, my lady. And how did you sleep?"

"I slept well also. But this morning I woke up to a little mystery and I'm hoping you can help me solve it," Ella said, giving him a pointed look.

Taking a quick survey of her form from her face to where it disappeared behind the table, Kit locked eyes with her and asked "And what would that be?" all the while his eyes danced while sharing her gaze.

"This morning, my two maids, Jane and Kate, told me that they were told to pick out something…. Something like _this_ for me to wear today," she said, gesturing to the dress. "Would you happen to know anything about it?"

"I might," Kit said, smiling mysteriously before taking another bite of his omelette. "But that would spoil the fun. If you really want to know why, I'll show you, after breakfast."

"Promise?" Ella asked.

Kit smiled indulgently at her. "I promise."

Ella returned his smile and, satisfied, dug into her breakfast.

After the plates were cleared away, Ella asked if he would show her the surprise now. As Kit opened his mouth to reply, a servant came in with a message for the king. Leaning down, he whispered into the king's ear and a smile broke out on Kit's face. When the servant left, Kit turned to Ella smiling.

"I believe your surprise is ready now," he said to her.

Rising, he offered her his hand. Together, they left the dining room and Kit led her down a hallway. At the end of the hallway, they stopped before a set of double doors. Gesturing, Kit said to Ella "After you, my lady."

Nervous, curious, and a little excited, Ella grasped the handles on each half of the door and gently turned them. Then she stepped inside. She'd made it maybe three steps into the room when she gasped and stopped in her tracks.

Kit, who was close behind her, missed the way her face lit up in surprise, but from the rest of her body language, he could tell that his gift was well received and he smiled triumphantly at himself.

Inside the room- it was a large sitting room- there was a sea of _white._ On closer inspection, as Ella had already deduced, they were actually wedding dresses that were draped over and hung from every available surface in the room.

They were in every shape and size imaginable. There was lace, cotton, silk, feathers, beads and many more fabrics and textures that Ella could not even begin to identify. There were dozens of them, at least a couple hundred. Ella couldn't even imagine that these many dresses existed, far less that they were all meant for-

Ella turned to the King. "Kit," she breathed. Kit's heart skipped a beat. Ella's eyes were shining. Not just with unshed tears that she was desperately trying to hold back, but with love and _joy._ The wide smile on her lips left no doubt as to how she was feeling in that moment.

"Ella,"

"These… they're for me?" Ella asked breathlessly. Kit smiled and nodded.

"Oh Kit!" Ella was so happy she launched herself at him. Kit was barely able to brace for her before she was all over him, planting kisses all over his face first and then settling her mouth against his in a passionate kiss.

Then she pulled back as suddenly as she'd jumped in and shyly stepped back. Kit laughed and asked her "So, you like your surprise, I take it?"

Ella again gifted him with a dazzling smile and said "Thank you, thank you , thank you Kit! This means… so much to me Kit. I love it! I love it so much!" Her excitement was almost a tangible thing. Kit suggested that she take a closer look at them. As she started around the room to examine the dresses, stopping to reverently run her hands through what looked like a collection of feathery fluff, Kit watched her and felt his heart grow within his chest.

Most women would be happy with a surprise like this, but Kit knew that for Ella, this represented something more than just a chance to wear a fine gown. Just like with allowing her the chance to plan her wedding, giving her the opportunity to choose and try on her own wedding gown was also one of those things that gave her a sense of purpose, a sense of worth. Kit realized that for Ella, it went far beyond the materialistic sense. These kinds of gestures really got to her because, living with her stepmother and step sisters, she was reduced to nothing more than a servant girl.

No one cared about her opinion, her thoughts, her feelings, her dreams. They didn't consider her as an equal. They barely considered her a person. And so, these little gestures were Kit's way of showing Ella that she was worth much more than what they made her out to be.

He wanted to help her to regain that sense of control and purpose and _worth_ that was slowly beaten out of her over all those years. And seeing how strongly she reacted to it, Kit knew he was on the right track.

Lost in their separate endeavors, neither one of them was aware of anyone approaching, until the light cough at the door called their attention. They both turned to find standing there a man and woman.

Stepping forward, the man spoke up. "Your majesty, allow me to introduce myself. My name is-"

"James Baron, of course! I've heard many wonderful things about your work. And this must be your wife?"

James, in the process of bowing, was so taken aback by the fact that the King knew his name that he stopped midway, his body at an odd angle, and snapped his head back up. The lady next to him quickly stepped in. "Yes your majesty. I'm the lady Baron. Please call me Beatrice." Then she curtsied.

Kit smiled at both of them. "Pleased to meet you. Allow me to introduce someone as well. Ella?" Hearing him beckon her, Ella walked back to stand by Kit's side.

"Mr. and Mrs. Baron, I'd like you to meet Ella, my intended. Ella, these are the Barons, they're the finest dressmakers in the entire kingdom." Turning to look in her eyes he added, "They're here to help fit you for your wedding gown."

Ella's eyes lit up all over again. She'd heard about the Barons before, but not even her stepmother and step sisters had enough money or influence to commission their work. Kit was really going all out for her. It warmed her heart to think that he cared so much.

"It's an honor to meet you, Ella. We are thrilled to be of service to the King and future Queen of the kingdom. I hope that we can do you justice," James said.

"Oh no! It's me who's is thrilled to have you here. I've heard only amazing things about your designs," Ella gushed.

Mrs. Baron looked pleased. "My! What a delight you are!" the older lady gushed. "Come! You must tell me all about yourself." Taking Ella's hand in hers, she led Ella away from the men and further into the room.

Kit and the Baron looked back to each other. Then Baron said "Not to worry, your majesty. We'll make sure to outfit your bride in the grandest gown ever made!"

"No!" Kit cut in. "That is…. Ella isn't the typical woman. She's very special, you see. She won't go for the most expensive looking piece. She's much more sentimental than that. I'd like you to work with her to create a piece that reflects her personality. Something tasteful and elegant, without being overdone. I know that she knows what she doesn't want, so it's up to you to help her find what she would like."

"Oh, of course, your majesty! I promise we'll make you both very pleased."

"Good," the king said. "I expect the very best for my future bride."

Kit turned to the women who were chatting away cheerily on the other side of the room.

Raising his voice, Kit called out, "Ella, I'll see you later, alright?" Turning, Ella looked at him in confusion. "You're not staying?"

"Of course not!" Lady Baron interjected. "It's bad luck for the groom to see the wedding dress before the ceremony. Besides that would spoil the surprise!"

Kit couldn't have missed the way her face fell if he was blind. Signaling, Kit bid Ella to move over to another corner of the room so they could speak privately.

"I'm sorry darling, but I have a few things to take care of today as well. There's a lot to do before the wedding. And besides," "taking her face in his hands, he continued "She's right. It's tradition that the groom not see the wedding dress before the bride wears it down the aisle. Also, you'll get to surprise me for once." Ella gave a small smile at that.

Kit gave her an answering smile before leaning in and brushing his lips against her forehead. "I promise I'll make it up to you. But I want you to enjoy yourself today, alright?"

Stepping back, he turned to the Barons, who had been doing their best to ignore the intimate moment between the king and his intended. "Mr. and Mrs. Baron, I'll be off now. I leave Ella in your capable hands." Turning to Ella again, he said, "I'll see you for dinner." Then he turned and exited the room.

Feeling a bit sad that, again, she wouldn't be spending the day with him, Ella let out a smile sigh. "Tut tut, none of that today!" Lady Baron lightly scolded. "Come along my dear, we've got a masterpiece of a wedding dress to create." And taking Ella's hand in one of hers, she began selecting some of the dresses with her other hand and holding them up against Ella's frame. "What about this one?"

XOXOXOXOXO

Kit wasn't lying when he said he still had things to do today. He himself had to go get fitted for his wedding attire. It was tradition among the kings of their kingdom to wear their royal robes to the ceremony, in place of a tuxedo or similar garment. It was also a tradition to have the royal tailor outfit him, rather than bringing in someone from the outside.

Kit met with the tailor, an older graying man by the name of Todrick Bailey. He outlined the specific style he was going for, got measured and was able to move on to his other tasks in under an hour, knowing that Bailey wouldn't let him down.

The king met with quite a few people over the course of the day, and they were all in some way or other related to the wedding preparations. There were many things still left to do. He had to make sure that the invitations were delivered to the noble guests and that the announcements were made to the villagers, who were also invited to share in the special occasion.

His last appointment for the day was a particularly special one. He was to meet with the jeweler. Kit had a very specific set of instructions for him and he was very precise in the exact detailing of his request. By the time they had finished, it was dark outside and the servants had no doubt already begun preparing dinner.

Kit wrapped up his meeting and after thanking the man for his time, went back to his chambers to take a shower and change into something more casual and comfortable.

When he actually made it to the dining room, he was surprised to find that Ella was already there waiting for him. She looked up when she saw him and a huge smile broke out on her face. He noted that she had also showered and changed.

Approaching her, he said, "Good evening, my lady."

"Good evening, Kit. How was your day?"  
Taking a seat, Kit replied, "It was very good, my lady. And how was yours?"

"Oh! It was wonderful! Even better than yesterday! Did you know the Barons have been married for 18 years? They even finish each other's sentences! It must be wonderful to have a bond like that!" Ella's eyes shone as she spoke. Her cheeks were beautifully flushed.

Kit also noted the slightly wistful tone in her voice. Leaning forward, he took her hand in his and looked into her eyes. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Ella looked away for a moment. Then she said "Before my mother died, my father would take us on picnics all the time. My mother taught me that there's beauty in nature; the warm sunshine, the soft murmur of the stream, the cool, crisp air after the rain falls… And she loved flowers. All kinds. She would always take us to the flower meadow to see what flowers were in season. And whenever my father came back from one if his trips he'd always have a bouquet for her, even though the pollen had him sneezing his head off til he got dizzy."

Ella looked up into Kit's eyes. "I always knew that my parents loved each other. And I knew that they loved me. I never had to question it. I never had to beg for it. It was just there. _That_ would be the kind of love I want."

Kit looked at Ella thoughtfully. Each day she revealed another part of her. And it made him fall even deeper in love with her. Taking her hand, he raised it to his lips and kissed it, then smiled at her.

"Then you shall have it."

Ella's eyes flew to his face. Seeing the question in her eyes, he continued. "Ella, I've never met anyone like you before. You have this bright shining light and you always try to let it shine through, even when others would see it put out. You see the best in everyone, in everything, even when other think there's none to see. You see the world, not as it is, but as it could be. You have the spirit of a warrior, the patience of a saint and a heart of gold. How could I not love you and want to make you happy?"

"Ella, I promise, that as long we are together, as long as I live, I will try to do all in my power to make you the happiest woman alive. And anything that I can do to make that happen, I will do it. I give you my word."

By this point, Ella's eyes had filled with tears. The loving embrace she'd felt when her parents were alive was so far buried under the horrible years she'd spent under her stepmother's heel that she'd almost forgotten how reassuring it felt to be loved and cherished. But now, here with Kit, she had no doubt as to how genuine his feelings for her were.

"Kit," Ella said breathlessly. Then, rather than try and put her feelings into words, she did the only thing she could think of. Kit suddenly found himself with a lapful and armful of soft but firm female flesh as Ella planted kisses all over his face, even as her tears spilled over to land between them.

To say that Kit was taken aback was an understatement. Even with their headway in physical displays of affection, this reached a new height. None of the kisses they'd shared up to this point were anything like this. This kiss set his blood on fire. Kit realized belatedly that letting this continue would definitely not be a good idea.

With a gentle but firm motion, he disentangled his lips from Ella's and pulled back, but not before hearing that barely there whimper that escaped from Ella's lips. _'Good,'_ Kit thought to himself. _'At least I'm not the only one affected.'_

Out loud he said, "My lady," He had to stop to clear his throat and try again. "Ella, I think it's time we called it a night, don't you?"

It was as if Ella all of a sudden returned to her senses. Her gently flushed cheeks now flamed red as she took stock of the situation. She hurriedly stood up. "Ye- Yes. Of course."

Kit also got to his feet. "Shall I walk you to your room?"

As they reached her door, Ella shyly looked up at Kit. She wanted to apologise for her behavior earlier. She didn't know _what_ had come over her. But as she opened her mouth to speak, Kit beat her to it.

"Well, here we are then. Goodnight, my lady. I wish you pleasant dreams."

Relieved that the king had chosen to let it go, Ella softly replied with a "goodnight" of her own and as Kit turned and walked down the hallway, she let herself into her room and practically fell into bed. Sighing tiredly but contently, she thought to herself _'today has been a great day.'_

As Kit got back to his room, he hurriedly stripped off his clothes and jumped into bed. As his head hit the pillow, his desires rushed back to him full force and he huffed in frustration and thought: _'this is going to be a looooong night….'_

 **A/N: There you go guys! Chapter 7 done! I'm sorry for the long wait. I had a bit more trouble with this chapter. As you can tell, they're getting longer and additionally, they're getting more complex. I had a challenge getting the emotional parts done right so that took more time. I hope you enjoyed it though, and I hope you'll leave me a review for my efforts. Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

 **Author's Note:** **Hey everyone! I *finally* finished Chapter 8! I'm sorry about the long wait, I actually had moved to France for a few months and then moved back home here in the Caribbean and I hadn't written at all while away. On top of that I had some difficulties with this chapter, it's longer than the others, for one thing, and Kit and Ella's relationship is getting more and more complex so that required more time to get it the way I wanted it.**

 **I'm happy with how it turned overall and I hope you are too! So go enjoy!**

 **Special thanks to OrelindeBlue for her review, which was the latest to be added and the one that helped motivate me to finally finish chapter. I've got my muse back so we'll see what happens.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I just enjoy them**

 **XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

The third and final day of their engagement arrived. After today, Kit and Ella would be joined in marriage for the rest of their lives.

Ella woke up early as usual. Sitting up in bed, she yawned and stretched, then glanced over at the clock on the wall. Seeing that it was only around 6 am., she lay back down and went back to sleep.

Not too far from Ella's chambers, the King also awoke early, but rather than simply go back to sleep, he sat up, grabbed a bit of parchment and a pen off the bedside table and tugged on a rope which would signal to the servants that he had need of them. A short while later, one appeared by his bedside, gave a bow and asked what it was the King required of him.

Kit gave him the message he had just finished writing, as well as the instructions on whom to give it to. Bowing once again, the servant murmured a "Yes, sire" and backed away until he left the sleeping chamber. After Kit heard the door close behind him, he gave a small smile to himself and then he too lay back down with the intention of getting a little more sleep.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The second time Ella awoke was to a soft knocking on the door to her bedchamber. She called out for the person to enter and was not at all surprised to find the two maids, Kate and Jane, smiling at her.

"Good morning, Miss Ella," They said unison.

"Good morning, girls, how are you today?" They both answered that they were well. Jane went to pull back the curtains, while Kate picked up Ella's robe and helped her into it.

"Shall I draw you a bath?" Kate asked her. "Yes, please."

As Kate turned to go into that bathroom, Jane came around to start making the bed, but started to protest when Ella moved to help her.

"No it's no trouble at all. I'm used to doing these sorts of things-"

"Please, Miss Ella, I've got it. It's my job. Besides, you should be getting ready for your big day."

Ella looked slightly confused. "But the wedding's not until tomorrow."

"Oh no not the wedding. I mean today, for your date with the King! He's planned a date with you today, and sent instructions on what you should wear."

Upon hearing that a huge smile broke out over Ella's face. "Really? Where are we going?" But Kate didn't know exactly. At that moment, Jane came back to say that the bath was ready. Ella turned to ask her if perhaps she knew, but she was equally vague.

Realizing that she had to wait until she met with Kit in order to find out for sure, she hurried into the bathroom to begin her daily ablutions.

When she emerged she found that, as usual, the maid had tidied up the room and set out her outfit for the day. They had laid out a dark blue loose fitting pants for her to wear, along with a cream colored top and a light jacket which matched the pants. Knowing her well enough by now, they let her get dressed on her own, but then insisted on helping her into her footwear.

Since they produced a pair of brown sturdy boots for her to wear, she decided not to protest, seeing as they had more experience with lacing them anyway. So while Jane helped with her boots, Kate brushed out her hair then pulled it back into a simple ponytail, complete with a dark blue ribbon in her hair.

After they had finished, Ella couldn't help but admire herself in the mirror. Though she wasn't even wearing a dress, she felt very ladylike and distinguished. She smiled first at her reflection in the mirror then turned that smile at the two maids.

"Thank you, girls," she told them. "I really appreciate it."

"Of course, Miss Ella, no need to thank us," Kate replied.

Ella moved to the door. As she turned back to wave at them before she closed the door, they both curtsied to her, and she gave them a small smile in return before heading off.

Upon entering the small dining room where she usually met Kit for breakfast, she found him there already seated as usual, but unlike previous mornings, he was in a much better mood. In fact, as soon as she entered, he looked up and locked gazes with her, his eyes beaming and a smile to match on his handsome face.

As she approached, he stood to greet her, and when she drew close to him he reached for her hand, raised to his lips and placed a small kiss to the back of it.

"Good morning, my lady," he said warmly

"Good morning, Kit,"

After they were both seated, Kit motioned for the servants to begin serving the food, while he asked Ella how she slept.

"Fine, thank you, and you?"

"I had a great sleep. I dreamed of you," Kit said.

"What did you dream?"

"Nothing that could ever compare to the time I spend with you in my waking hours- speaking of which, I have a surprise for you."

"Oh?" Ella said before taking a bite of her toast. She hoped that his surprise had to do with the very specific outfit the girls had picked out for her to wear.

"Indeed. How would you like to go on a picnic today? With me?"

Ella's eyed grew wide. "Really? But, aren't you busy today? With the wedding being tomorrow and all... "

"No it's all been taken care of, don't worry. I've every confidence in the staff. They've been working extra hard to make everything perfect for you. So, since there's nothing urgent to take care of, and since I haven't been able to spend much time with you, I thought some quality time was in order. I know you like nature and being outdoors so-"

"Oh Kit,"

Ella's face held such a look of adoration that Kit felt his heart skip a beat. Then, when she reached over and gripped his hand, his heart started beating again... several times too fast.

Kit cleared his throat. "I'm glad the plan meets with the lady's approval. We can leave as soon as we've finished breakfast."

Ella could hardly contain herself. She'd resigned herself to spending today without Kit's company again, but having found out that he's planned a special day for just the two of them, well and the guards, she was too excited to finish eat. But mindful of her manners, she sipped her tea quietly while she waited for Kit to finish. But as soon as he'd put down his knife and fork and called for the servants to take the dishes away, (after thanking them of course). Then he turned to her and asked "So, are you ready to go?"

"Yes! I can hardly wait!"

Kit laughed and pushed back from his chair. He reached out a hand to help her up and then they were off to the main courtyard where the Captain was waiting with their horses.

The king had thought of everything. He'd had the servants outfit their mounts with saddle bags which were filled with all kind of goodies and finger food, perfect for their picnic, as well as some canteens of wine, juice and water, a blanket and some other knickknacks.

"Your horses, Sire, my lady," The Captain handed the reins to the King then helped Ella unto her horse. When she was settled she looked around, expecting to see the other guards mounted up and ready to go, but the only ones on horseback were herself and Kit.

"Aren't the guards coming with us?" Ella asked.

"Er, no...I thought it'd be nice with just the two of us, if that's alright with you..."

Ella looked over at Kit and smiled. "That's fine, I don't mind."

"Great! It's settled then." Kit turned to the Captain and told him they'd be back around sundown, and also gave him instructions to come looking for them if they weren't back by a certain time. Then, he grasped the reins, checked to see that Ella was ready and they were off.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Woah! Ella slow down!" Kit huffed out as he urged his horse a little faster to try to catch up with her.

A few minutes later he drew his horse to a stop next to hers. His heart was racing and he had to work on catching his breath. Ella, on the other hand... ' _She looks incredible.'_ Kit thought to himself.

They'd set out at a trot at first. Kit knew she liked nature so he had an idea to take to some of the flower fields and meadows that he knew would be in bloom this time of year. It was not quite Fall yet, but the summer months were on their way out. The warm summer days and rich summer harvests would be over soon. Already, some of the leaves had begun to change colour and the nights were turning cooler and cooler. But luckily, today was nice and sunny, with just a bit of cool breeze coming in. Not too hot, not too cold. It would a good day for a picnic.

At first they'd just been meandering along, chatting. Kit shared with her many stories from his childhood. Very often, the late King had been too busy to go on many outings with his son, but he'd always made sure to put aside at least a few occasions where they could go riding out in the country.

Before they knew it, a couple hours had passed and they were quite a ways away from the palace. Kit had just suggested that they find a place to rest and have lunch when Ella had excitedly called out "Look there's a meadow over there! Is that a lavender field? Last one there has to groom the horses!" And off she went. Kit had been so surprised at the abrupt change of pace that he'd been momentarily rendered speechless and immobile.

Then what Ella said finally registered and he gave his horse a kick in the flanks and gave chase. He did his best to catch up to her but she was too fast and too far ahead so he called out for her to slow down. When they finally came to a stop in the meadow, Kit had to wait a minute or two to catch his breath before speaking, but when he looked up at her, all his words deserted him.

The hair around Ella's face had come loose out of her ponytail. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes danced in her face. And she was grinning from ear to ear, even as she panted, trying to catch her breath. She was a vision.

 _'She looks_ incredible, _'_ Kit thought to himself. He became aware that she was saying something and had to quickly snap himself out of his reverie and concentrate.

"Sorry? What were you saying?"

Ella laughed. "I was saying how much fun that was. I haven't felt like that in ages."

Kit felt that all-too-familiar pang in his chest that he got whenever she said anything like that.

"Well," he said, swallowing past the lump in his throat, "We'll have to do these things more often."

The way her face lit up made him swear there and then that he would carve out time in his schedule to take her on more outings like this.

As Kit saw her move to dismount, he hurriedly climbed off his horse and moved to assist her with her dismount. After they were both solidly on their feet, Kit unloaded the food bags from the horses and handed them to her while he lead the horses a bit closer to the nearby stream and secured them to a tree. When he came back he found that Ella was already sitting on the spread blanket and was busily unpacking the food for their picnic. Kit came and sat next to her.

"It's such a lovely day today" Ella sighed. "I wish every day could be like this." Kit just gave her a wide smile. He was thinking the same thing but he had a feeling it was not exactly for the same reason. Although the air was still sweet with the scents of summer, it was coming on to the end of the season and the leaves on the trees were just beginning to change colour. The scent of change was heavy in the air. But this was not what Kit had on his mind.

He was glad to be spending time with his beloved. The truth was, Ella was not the only one who was disappointed that they could not spend more time together before now. Kit also would have loved to spend more time with her, but he also understood that certain things had to be put in place, in terms of the wedding as well as other matters he had to attend to as King. And he was well aware that he would be taking a few days after the wedding to devote to just spending time with Ella and getting to know her a little better. Of course, other activities would also be expected to occur during this time, but Kit tried to steer his mind away from that for the moment.

He reached out to help her unpack the last of the food from the packs. Mario had really packed a proper picnic spread. There were fresh rolls, just baked this morning, Kit was sure, salami, dried ham and sausage meats, 2 types of cheeses, a whole vanilla cake, also freshly prepared, grapes, apples and strawberries, a bottle of wine, a bottle of cider and 2 bottles of sparkling water. Kit had to remember to give Mario a big thank you for this spread.

"Wow!" Ella exclaimed, when everything was laid out before them, "Look at all this food! I'm sure we won't be able to eat it all" Kit laughed. "No I suppose we won't. We can save the rest for later of course. What would you like to eat first?"

"I'll take some sausage and bread please." Kit busied himself with dishing out the food for Ella before fixing something for himself. While they were eating, Ella looked at Kit and asked "Did you do stuff like this with your father when you were younger?"

Kit laughed. "Picnics? No not really. My father would not have enjoyed anything as mundane as a picnic." "But he loved the outdoors," Kit hastened to add when he sensed her disapproval.

Ella was very good at suppressing and hiding any kind of negative reaction in her face or body language but Kit was coming to know her better and better all time and he could sense that she disapproved because maybe she thought that his father hadn't spent enough time with him as a child. Kit decided to reassure her.

"Well what I meant was, my father didn't think much of picnics, but he took me with him hunting all the time. He taught me how to ride when I was about 4 or 5 years old. And then we'd go for rides all year long, even during the Winter. Then when I got older he started taking me hunting with him as well. We had a lot of fun times."

Kit looked at Ella. "I can see why you enjoy the outdoors so much. It's so free and refreshing out here. I always loved when we were in the middle of a hunt and we'd suddenly spot the target. I loved that mad dash through the woods, I loved the sun my face, the wind in my hair. I loved it."

Ella was gazing back at him; her eyes shining in admiration. She could feel the passion he felt as he recounted his childhood memories. Ella had no doubt that most if not all the memories of his childhood were happy ones and she was glad for him.

She smiled and said "It sounds wonderful. You had a beautiful childhood."

Kit's contented expression clouded a bit when he heard her say that. He felt that now-familiar pang in his chest whenever he reflected on her experiences versus the ones that he had growing up. But as he opened his mouth to speak, an object was pushed into his hand. Looking down he saw that he was holding a wooden goblet and that Ella was busily trying to open the bottle of wine that they'd brought with them... but with limited success. Kit laughed and took the bottle from her.

He grasped the corkscrew that she'd managed to screw into the cork, gave it a twist and easily pulled it back out. He filled her glass before pouring some in his glass as well.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Ella could sense the shift in Kit's mood when she commented on what a wonderful childhood he had had and she didn't want to cloud this beautiful day with thoughts of her past. As she saw it, it was over and done with, she'd survived, they couldn't hurt her anymore and she was now away from them and moving on with her life which included becoming the wife of this wonderful man beside her. So to distract him before he could get sad for her again, Ella decided she would keep him in the here and now and so she reached for the wine bottle to wash down their food. Luckily he could probably sense her intentions and he was happy to go along with it.

Kit set down the wine bottle after he had poured them some wine. He swirled the wine around the glass as he regarded her, then softly clinked it against hers and took a sip, while she did the same. He delighted in watching the colour rise in her cheeks as she swallowed, but the humor quickly died on his lips as it was replaced by a pinch of lust that hit him when she opened her eyes and he saw that her pupils were dilated from the alcohol. Couple that with her delightfully rosy cheeks and Kit was unable to resist.

When she set her wineglass down, Kit leaned in and quickly gave her a peck on the lips. When he pulled back she was even redder in the face and her face adorably scrunched up in confusion set him laughing. "What? We've shared kisses before. Are you suddenly having second thoughts?" Although Kit was joking, he saw Ella's face abruptly sober up and as she turned to him she took his hand and said earnestly, "Oh Kit, never! I want to marry you! I want to be your wife!"

Kit's faced turned serious and he tightened his hands around hers. "Ella, Sweetheart, I know that. I know that, darling. I'm sorry I made you think that I was doubting you, I'm not. I'm going to marry you tomorrow, and I'm not letting you go after that. Not ever."

Ella leaned into him and sighed in relief. Kit started to curse her relatives in his head. All of this was their fault. If he never set eyes on them again it would be too soon.

Kit continued to hold Ella close. After a time she seemed to calm down but she continued to lean against him and of course he was content to continue to hold her. He leaned in to her to breathe in the scent of her hair and then Ella shifted to look up into his eyes.

Kit could feel the pull, drawing him closer and closer to Ella's lips. She seemed to be caught up in the same pull as he was because she was also leaning in closer to him.

Their lips touched. The kiss, like many before, started out slowly, then some unknown signal from her had Kit deepening the kiss.

It was like fireworks went off inside Kit's head. Up to this point, they'd shared quite a few kisses. Some chaste, some more than chaste, but none were quite like this. It was as if some previously closed door had now suddenly been busted open and a deeper more intense level of emotion came pouring out.

Kit's lips practically fused to Ella's. His hands moved from her shoulders down to her arms and then around to her back, where they held her and pulled her flush against him.

Ella, similarly was caught up in the kiss. Even with her extremely limited experience, she knew that this was deeper than anything they had shared previously.

She could feel the heat in Kit's lips as they moved sensually against hers, taking control of her mouth, and, it seemed, her senses and sense of self. She could feel the heat of his chest where it touched hers even through the shirts that they both wore.

Kit pulled back from the kiss for a split second, just enough to take a quick breath and allow Ella to do the same before diving back in. Somehow, before he or she knew what was happening, Ella felt herself being gently laid back and then she was on her back on the blanket with Kit resting lightly on her. He stopped and looked at her again, to check for confirmation that this was alright and when he go her wordless agreement, he started to trail light kisses down her neck and chest.

Ella's eyes opened for 2 seconds as Kit's mouth left hers but fluttered closed again as soon as his lips reconnected with the delicate skin of her neck. As Kit's lips moved lower to skim the tops of Ella's breasts, presented enticingly in a scoop necked cream coloured top, her skin flushed a rosy red which only encouraged Kit more. As he moved lower however, Ella's soft moan at his ministrations seemed to break through his trance and he froze, blinking back into focus the little cream coloured button at the top of Ella's blouse that had just come undone.

He looked up to see Ella's flushed face. As he took in her chest which rose and fell under his mouth, her open, softly panting lips, the gravity of the situation hit him like a bucket of cold water. He realised they'd gotten more than a bit carried away. He hastened to disentangle from her and sit up, but then immediately moved in close again to help her sit up as well.

Even after he had helped her up, it was a few seconds before he eased his hands off her, and even then his body stayed close to hers, probably against his better judgment. When the two were sitting up and facing each other, a kind of awkward silence settled between them.

"Ella, I-" Kit broke off and looked away, laughing awkwardly. How could he explain that he had gotten so caught up in the scent and taste of her, that she had taken over his sense so completely that he had briefly lost all sense of reason and had he not come to his senses in time, the situation would have escalated a lot further than it did, which was already quite far.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Ella giving him a small but reassuring smile. "Kit," she began, "It's ok. You didn't do anything wrong. We're to be married tomorrow. I'll be your wife. This is normal. There's nothing wrong."

Kit turned uncertain eyes on her. Her smile remained in place. It made his heart clench. Even though they were only a day from being legally joined in marriage, they weren't yet, and with everything that had happened in Ella's life, having almost no control over anything in her own life, it made him feel terrible to have almost put her in a situation like this, where one more thing would have been taken away from her. And amazingly, despite everything, she was reassuring _him,_ looking out for _his_ wellbeing before her own.

And of course that would only serve to make him feel worse. Looking her in the eye he said to her, " I know, but still. I shouldn't have let things get that far. Tomorrow is soon enough."

"Ella," he said, taking cup her cheek in his palm, "I love you, and I want to do right by you, and make you happy. More than anything, or anyone I've ever known, you deserve to be happy."

"But I _am_ happy, Kit. I'm so happy I'm not sure this is real. It's almost like the Ball all over again. I keep waiting for the clock to chime midnight and for me to wake up from my dream. But it's not a dream. It's real. I'm really here, with you, and we're about to be _married_ tomorrow! I get to spend the rest of my life here with you, and that scares me because I'm not sure I deserve to be happy like that, that I'm allowed to be that happy after everything that's happened to me. But you love me, and you believe in me and that makes me willing to fight to hold on what we have, what we _will_ have in the future. Do you understand?"

Kit thought he finally did. He took her hands in his "I do, Ella. I understand, and I promise you that I will spend the rest of my life committed to making you happy and showing you that you deserve all that happiness and more. " He kissed her again firmly on the mouth then pulled away.

It was getting dark now so Kit figured they should pick up and prepare to head back. He stood up then helped her to her feet as well. They gathered up the remains of their picnic and the blanket and headed over to the horses to pack the saddlebags. Then Kit helped Ella unto her horse before going over to mount his, and then they headed off back to the palace at a comfortable pace.

When they got back to the palace, Kit helped Ella dismount and they walked hand in hand back to into the palace while the servants tended to the horses and cleared away the remains from their picnic. Kit walked Ella back to her room, where he gave her a quick kiss on her cheek and left her, promising to meet her for dinner in about 2 hours.

Ella went into her room and lay on her bed. She was feeling a bit weary and more than a bit overwhelmed. Now that the heat of the moment had passed, the gravity of the situation today had hit her like a ton of bricks. Ella knew that she loved Kit, but today made her fully appreciate the entirety of the situation. She was going to be married to Kit, tomorrow, and they would be joined for the rest of their lives.

Ella was so happy about this she could hardly believe it was real. Since her father's death, there hadn't really been anyone around willing to stick up for her or show her any compassion, far less, any love. Then her fairy Godmother had changed her life drastically in just a few hours, it really was like a fairy tail. But then after that night was over, Ella thought that was all the happiness she would be alotted in her adult life, and now this.

But today with Kit had slammed home another poignant point that she had not really given much thought to before... that subject of being husband and wife in all aspects of the word...including the intimate sense. She had the tiniest bit of knowledge regarding that particular area, but in reality, the only experience she'd had had been the kisses she'd shared with Kit, the man with whom she'll be doing much more than just kissing after they're married.

Ella certainly didn't mind the kisses that they had been sharing and she more than enjoyed the ones they had shared today as well. And when she realised that things were getting a bit more intense, she was a bit nervous but she figured she would trust Kit to look after her and guide her through it. Now another fear started to worm its way into her mind. Since she was so inexperienced, Ella only had the slightest bit of knowledge of what to really do when it came to that sort of intimacy. So she wasn't sure what exactly she should do or say or how she should react. She wasn't even really sure of the mechanics of it and this was making her a little nervous.

Ella thought back to the way Kit had reacted to the way she had responded to him as he kissed her. She closed her eyes and the memory of his groan echoed in her mind. And now, just like then, her body flushed with warmth at the thought of it. Ella smiled softly to herself. She might not know much about it but even her limited experience recognized a sound of pleasure when she heard it and that was the sound that Kit made.

Ella breathed a small sigh of relief. Even without really knowing what to do, she knew that she seemed to be doing something right, something that pleased Kit and in the end that was what she desired most of all. With that thought in mind, Ella rose to her feet, a spring in her step as she danced off to the bathroom to take a shower. She would have a short nap after her shower and wait until Kate and Jane came to wake her and help her get ready for dinner.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

An hour or so later, there was a soft knock at the door then Jane and Kate came in and helped her get ready for dinner. They selected a frilly pink dress with short sleeves for her to wear. Ella thanked them and went off to meet Kit in the small dining room.

When she came in, Kit's eyes lit up as they landed on her and he jumped to his feet and was at her side in an instant. Taking her hand in his, he raised it to his lips, then moved in to place a kiss on her cheek as well.

"My lady," Kit said, "You look amazing as usual."

Ella smiled shyly. "Thank you, Kit. You look great yourself." Beaming, Kit led her to her seat and helped her into it, then took a seat next to her.

In between bites of food, they talked about the wedding prep. Kit told her how everyone was busily preparing for the big day tomorrow. Ella could sense his excited energy from his body movements and the little gleam in his eyes. She herself was a bundle of nerves and excitement. She couldn't believe that in less than 24 hours she would be married to this man sitting next to her and she would be his wife and his Queen. They would be joined from that day until their last day, which hopefully would be a long time from now.

"Ella?"

Ella blinked. She's gotten caught up in her musings and didn't realise Kit had asked her something.

"Yes? I'm sorry, what were you asking?"

"Well...I was asking if there was anything in particular that you wanted... you know... as a wedding gift."

Ella blinked once, then again over and over and covered her face with her hands.

"Ella?! What's wrong, love?" Kit grew alarmed. He moved to her and put his hand on her shoulder, trying to gently move her hands away from her face so he could see what was wrong.

"What's wrong honey?"

Finally Ella looked up at him, her cheeks stained with tears that she's tried unsuccessfully to hold back. She dried her eyes with the napkin Kit handed her and started to speak.

"Kit-" breath hitching, she took a deep breath and started again.

"Kit, I don't deserve this. I don't deserve to marry you. I'm just a little servant girl, who got to play princess for a night. How could I ever be truly deserving of a love like yours? I'm not worthy."

"Oh, Ella," Kit pulled her close and let her work off some more of the tears that had began to escape again, but after a few more minutes he eased her away and gently tipped her chin up to face him.

"Ella, love, look at me. I promise you, that I will spend every moment from this day until my last day, making you see yourself the way I see you through my eyes. I'll spend the rest of my life showing you what a caring, compassionate, selfless, generous, kind, warm, loving, lovely creature that you are. The truth is that it is I who is undeserving of the love of such a person as yourself, but I promise, I'll absolutely do my best to become worthy of your love, to become worthy of loving you and caring for you. You deserve so much happiness, I _wish_ you could see that, but I'll just have to do my best to show you."

"So please, _please,_ don't ever say things like that again. Don't ever say anything about you not being worthy ever again, because if you do... I'll have to do _this."_

Kit grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her hard towards him and in the next instant his mouth was moving hard over hers, his lips pressing against hers with bruising force. He lightly bit her bottom lip and when she opened her mouth on a gasp he slid his tongue inside to play with hers. The slow, sensuous glide of his tongue against hers had the desired effect and Ella let out a soft moan and clutched his shoulders in her hands. In response, Kit gripped her hips and pulled her even closer to him; they were practically fused together, in the chair, Ella pretty much sprawled all over his lap.

Just as abruptly as he'd begun, Kit pulled away, but not before giving Ella a not-so-gentle- nip on her bottom lip.

Ella's pupils were fully dilated, her face sporting a lovely rosy flush. Her lips looked thoroughly kissed out, swollen and slightly wet, while she panted softly. Ignoring the fact that he himself was probably in a similar state, Kit smiled as he looked her over. He was quite proud of himself for having her in this state, without losing his own head, although it was damn close, he had to admit.

"There," Kit said, his voice just a bit hoarse, "Now you know what will happen if I ever hear you saying anything about you not being deserving of love. Because, if there's anyone who's deserving of love, _my_ love, in particular," Kit's voice grew softer at this point, and he grasped her hand firmly in his, "It's _you."_ As he said this, he firmly but gently placed her hand to the front of his not so comfortable breeches so that she could _feel_ just how much love he had to give her.

Ella blinked in surprise. She was having hard time doing anything more than that since Kit's... kiss...had short circuited her brain. Kit set her gently down in the chair next to his so that they could both take a breather.

After a few minutes Ella's breathing returned to somewhat normal and gave a shaky laugh to herself. She felt warm all over. There was no denying it now. They were definitely into _that_ territory now. But strangely, despite the intensity of his kiss and the resonant feelings coursing through her, Ella felt... settled. Any nervousness or anxiety that she had felt concerning her lack of experience with these kinds of matters was completely gone. Even though physically a kiss, toe-curling as it was, was as far as they had gotten intimacy-wise, they were well on their way with that.

It was clear to Ella that Kit had everything under control. He was in charge and there was nothing she needed to worry about. She could now clearly see that she had no reason to worry about their lovemaking or any kind of intimate situation like that. Kit would take the lead and guide her through it. And if Ella allowed herself to think about it thoroughly, she would see that she was doing a hell of a job arousing him already and that there was no reason in the world to think that he would not be pleased with her sexually.

Mind made up, Ella smiled warmly at Kit.

"What are you smiling about so slyly?" Kit asked her.

"I'm just excited to marry you tomorrow, that's all. I'm happy to become your wife and princess."

"I'm happy too, my lady. I'm ready to be your husband, and declare our love to the whole world, but more than that, " -Kit took her hand in his- "I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with you, showing you how much you're loved, each and every day, and being loved by you in return." Kit raised her hand to his lips and placed and warm kiss to the back of it.

The clock on the wall chose to moment to chime and remind the young couple that it was already 11 p.m.

Rising from his chair, Kit offered Ella his hand and helped her to her feet. He walked her back to her room as he'd done every night since she'd been here, but this time when they stopped outside her door, they were both aware of the fact that this would be the last night that Kit would be escorting Ella to a room different from the one where he slept.

"Well, this is it." Kit said. "Make sure you get a good night's sleep tonight, my lady, you're going to have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

Ella smiled up at him. "And you too, Kit. Tomorrow is a big day for both of us."

Kit returned her smile with one of his own, then he moved in close and took her chin in his hand to gently tilt her face up to his. He took her mouth in a slow, but thorough kiss which left them both breathless when he pulled away a few minutes later.

"Goodnight, my lady, sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Kit."

Kit waited until Ella's door closed softly behind her before he turned and headed off to his room, aware that this was the last night he would be doing so without her.

It was a sobering thought that occupied his mind as he closed the door to his rooms, undressed and climbed beneath the covers.

 _'I won't be alone anymore.'_ The thought made Kit smile widely at the ceiling. His mother had died when he was little, and his father, though loving, had always placed more emphasis on teaching Kit how to be a good king for his people, rather than on spending quality time with Kit as a normal father and son would.

Then as he grew up... Kit hadn't realized how increasingly lonely his life had become as he got older and drew closer to inheriting the throne, and then when his father had died, it was up to Kit to shoulder all the responsibilities of a king and make sure the needs of his kingdom were met. It was only after he had met Ella that and found himself laughing and smiling more did he realize how much those small but significant things were missing from his life. Much like Ella herself; she seemed simple and unassuming but the impact she made on his life was monumental.

The realization that Kit would now have her by his side for the rest of his life made a warm feeling come over him and he fell asleep with a smile on his face and a warm feeling in his heart. Tomorrow was going to be a big day indeed.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Ella similarly was thinking about tomorrow as she got ready for bed. She was nervous but also excited. She reflected upon how her life had taken a huge blow, first when her mother died, and then when her father also passed and she was basically forced into slavery by her stepmother and stepsisters.

At least when her mother had died, she still had her father, but after he passed...she had no one to stick up for her, to comfort her when she was sad, but now all of that was about to change and Ella couldn't be happier.

"Tomorrow, I'll become Mrs. Kit," Ella gave a little happy chuckle to herself as she thought this.

With this warm feeling inside her, she rolled over and snuggled into the covers. Within a few minutes, her breathing deepened and she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

 **Author's Note: There you have it guys, my completed Chapter 8. I hope you can see the labor of love that went into this chapter... I *did* struggle with it in parts, but all in all I'm happy with how it turned out. Let me know what you think! Do you have any ideas for Ella's wedding dress? Or what should Kit give her as a wedding gift? I welcome your input so don't be afraid to leave a review letting me know what you think.**

 **Best,**

 **Shoi.**


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